Former Warren foster mother facing multiple child abuse charges

NORB FRANZ

Published
12:00 am EDT, Wednesday, October 17, 2012

A Warren woman who was a foster mom to four children faces child abuse charges, including allegations that the kids lived in filth.

However, the accused woman, 56-year-old Mary Denease Matthews -- whose license as a foster parent has been terminated -- said Tuesday her real mistake was to leave the siblings in the care of her 15-year-old granddaughter.

"I'm not trying to run away from this. I did leave my granddaughter to baby-sit," said Matthews, reached at her home for comment. "If I'm guilty and wrong of that, OK, I can accept that and deal with that. I didn't try to abuse them in any way."

Matthews faces three counts of second-degree child abuse, punishable by up to 10 years in prison; and three counts of fourth-degree child abuse. The latter offense is a 1-year misdemeanor.

Warren police said Child Protective Services representatives made an unannounced visit to the home in June. According to court records:

A 6-month-old girl was left unattended in a "pack and play," wrapped in blankets when the temperature was 93 degrees, with spoiled milk.

A toddler wore dirty clothes as he and his 9-year-old sister were in the dirty, cluttered house that smelled of feces.

A toddler was spotted playing unsupervised by a staircase.

Two of the children were not properly secured in child car seats.

"From talking to CPS, they said it was pretty bad," Warren Detective Cpl. Scott Isaacson said. "The natural mother noticed marks (on the children) and a lack of care."

The children were immediately removed from the house, and Matthews' license as a foster parent was terminated, police said.

Matthews is free on $5,000 bond as she awaits a preliminary hearing Oct. 25 in 37th District Court to determine whether she should stand trial.

The Warren woman told The Macomb Daily that she had cared for the children for two months and that she and their mother "never got along from Day One."

The woman was allowed weekly visits supervised by a social worker. Matthews claimed that on the day the children were placed with her, she took one of the girls, an infant, to a hospital for rash and inflammation on the neck, buttocks and genitals.

"It was never diaper rash, but a fungus. She tried to blame me for that," Matthews said. "She said that I never held her baby. It's common sense that you have to pick a baby up."

Matthews, who said she has six children and 26 grandchildren of her own, said she has served as a foster parent for more than five years.

Matthews said that on the day of the visit by CPS, she attended orientation by her new employer and allowed her 15-year-old granddaughter to supervise the children. The Warren woman said she was to start her new job on the afternoon shift within a few days, allowing her to care for the four siblings during the day and that her 20-year-old son would tend to them when she headed to work.

"I didn't think that a 15-year-old was not an appropriate age to watch children," Matthews said. "The allegations they are making are just that -- allegations.

"The children were only here a short while. Those children were not harmed in any way," she said.

The children were placed with Matthews through Ennis Center for Children, a Flint-based nonprofit corporation that helps place children with adoptive families.

Robert Ennis, the founder and president of the agency, was not immediately available for comment Tuesday.

Gale Frase, vice president for administrative services, said she was not familiar with Matthews' case but said the investigation and the revocation of Matthews' state-issued foster care license would have been handled by the Michigan Department of Human Services.